Mumbai: Concerned about the slums right next to the city airport, Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju Pusapati, on Wednesday, wrote to Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan raising a flag about the delay in shifting the slums. Now, the blame game has begun as to who is responsible. While the state government bureaucrats blame the legal tussle between the airport authority, Mumbai International Airport Pvt Ltd (MIAL), and the builder HDIL, that was supposed to rehabilitate the slum dwellers, the builder has blamed the state government for the delay.
A senior airport official alleged, “The contract for rehabilitation was given to HDIL four years ago, and as per the agreement they were to shift 90,000 families and begin the work. But, this did not happen. HDIL has lost all the court cases and have now got into arbitration.” The contract itself has been terminated and awarded to another organisation.
However, state government is blaming the legal tussle between the HDIL and MIAL-GVK for the delay. A state government bureaucrat, requesting anonymity, added, “When the government has allotted four different places (Bhandup, Kurla, Chunabhatti, Chakala) under the slum rehabilitation scheme, why has the work not begun? The matter has stretched due to the legal matters between HDIL and airport handling authority.”
13/09/14 Neha LM Tripathi/Mid Day
To Read the News in full at Source, Click the Headline
A senior airport official alleged, “The contract for rehabilitation was given to HDIL four years ago, and as per the agreement they were to shift 90,000 families and begin the work. But, this did not happen. HDIL has lost all the court cases and have now got into arbitration.” The contract itself has been terminated and awarded to another organisation.
However, state government is blaming the legal tussle between the HDIL and MIAL-GVK for the delay. A state government bureaucrat, requesting anonymity, added, “When the government has allotted four different places (Bhandup, Kurla, Chunabhatti, Chakala) under the slum rehabilitation scheme, why has the work not begun? The matter has stretched due to the legal matters between HDIL and airport handling authority.”
13/09/14 Neha LM Tripathi/Mid Day
